Who made it: Directed by Charles Crichton. With Alec Guinness, Stanley Holloway.

Audience appeal: 10 and up

Once upon a time: Henry Holland is the mildest of bank clerks, notable only for the care and thoroughness with which he keeps an eye on the regular gold bullion deliveries. And he has good reason to keep an eye on them — because this quiet little man has, over the years, come up with an ingenious plan for robbing his company's own armored van and smuggling the precious metal out of the country, melted down and disguised as cheap souvenirs. Now, all he needs now is the right gang...

Inappropriate material: Nothing to offend anyone, really.

Why kids will like it: All children are a little larcenous at heart, and they'll appreciate the audacity of Holland's scheme. But what will really appeal are the chase scenes and the slapstick comedy — more than usual for British comedies of this period — as his "mob" tries to cover up the crime, flee the police and then, frantically, track down the secretly precious souvenirs that have accidentally gone missing. Point out that Holland is played by a young Obi-Wan Kenobi and kids will be even happier.

Why adults will like it: There are a couple of times when comedian and company come together — the Marx Brothers and Paramount, Woody Allen and United Artists — and Alec Guinness and Ealing Studios was one of the most delightful of partnerships, as they spent the `50s turning out one classic after another. This was a particular highpoint, especially thanks to the warm supporting performance of Stanley Holloway — soon to be known forever as Eliza Doolittle's marriage-shy dad — as Holland's good friend and co-conspirator.

Fast forward/freeze frame: : It all zips by in barely over 80 minutes, although children will need to be attentive to catch the ending.

Fun trivia: It's hard to imagine anyone less likely to be cast as a South American party girl called Chiquita — but yes, that's a 22-year-old Audrey Hepburn in a tiny part at the very beginning of the film. And look fast later, and you'll see that one of the investigating policemen is played by Robert Shaw.

Teachable moments: They're as fully American as this film is quintessentially British, but the "Dortmunder" novels of Donald E. Westlake, in which a mismatched crew of professional burglars cook up outlandish schemes, should appeal to teenage readers. The best (also made into a very good movie) is probably "The Hot Rock," but all the books in the series are amusing thrillers (and, be warned, far lighter than much of Westlake's other, much darker work).

Double features: Any of Guinness' other Ealing comedies would pair with this one nicely, although the most interesting choice might be "The Ladykillers" — another comedy about a gang, but with a far more sardonic style, and an early film appearance by Peter Sellers. Just avoid the Tom Hanks "Ladykillers" remake — a genuine crime all by itself.